Cristiano Ronaldo says Al Nassr will only get stronger after he scored a late goal to keep alive his side’s King Salman Cup hopes, as Sadio Mane debuted for his new team.
Ronaldo, the Nassr captain, headed home Ghislain Konan's cross three minutes from time on Thursday night for the Riyadh side to draw 1-1 with Egypt’s Zamalek in their final Group C match.
Staring at defeat in Taif, Nassr were on the brink of an exit, but Ronaldo’s goal ensured they moved above Zamalek into second in the table to progress to the quarter-finals.
Runners-up in last season’s Saudi Pro League, Nassr will now face Morocco’s Raja Casablanca, the defending champions, in their last-eight encounter on Sunday.
Speaking after the match, Ronaldo said: “The match was difficult today, but we were able to achieve the important thing, which is qualifying.
"We will gradually improve, and the atmosphere within the team is very nice."
On Thursday, Nassr gave a debut to latest signing Mane, whose move from Bayern Munich was confirmed only two days back.
The former Liverpool forward, who joins at the club fellow summer recruits Marcelo Brozovic, Seko Fofana and Alex Telles, was brought on at the beginning of the second half.
Keen to immediately make an impact, Mane went close to cancelling out Zizo’s 54th-minute penalty, but sent a close-range effort narrowly off target.
Posting on Instagram after the game, the Senegalese forward commented on a picture of him and Ronaldo embracing, saying: "Congrats on your goal big man. On to the next round. Thanks Al Nassr fans, the support was amazing."
Earlier on Thursday, UAE side Al Wahda lost 1-0 to Raja, but still had done enough to advance to the knockouts. Pitso Mosimane’s men face Riyadh’s Al Shabab on Sunday – Shabab pipped Nassr to the top of Group C – while the tie of the quarter-finals is undoubtedly the all-Saudi clash between domestic champions Al Ittihad and Al Hilal, on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s Al Sadd face Iraqi club Al Shorta in the other last-eight encounter, also on Saturday.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
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RESULTS
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
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Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
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We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
GULF MEN'S LEAGUE
Pool A Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Exiles, Dubai Tigers 2
Pool B Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jebel Ali Dragons, Dubai Knights Eagles, Dubai Tigers
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Thursday, December 5
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7pm, Pitch 2, Jebel Ali Dragons v Dubai Tigers
7pm, Pitch 4, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Exiles
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Recent winners
2018 Dubai Hurricanes
2017 Dubai Exiles
2016 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2015 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2014 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
EA Sports FC 25
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Ajax v Dynamo Kiev
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Dynamo Kiev v Ajax
